OT: Body Flaws

In article <[email hidden]>,

(Sobe203) said:

Hey everyone-
I'm wondering about the body flaws associated with weight gain. Even though
I've lost 35 lbs. in the past three months, I still see things wrong with me.
I have pink stretch marks on my stomach (matching pairs on each side) that
are
indented slightly in the skin, and it looks like a few spider veins on my
right
leg.

I got really depressed when I looked into the mirror. I'm only 19. How am I
ever supposed to wear a bathing suit, or have a healthy sex life one day, if
I'm ashamed of my own body?

I'm using Strixaderm-MD for the stretch marks (generic, less expensive
version
of the popular Better Than Botox cream), I have been for the past 5 days...
I've seen no improvement thusfar. Do these things vanish after time & more
weight loss, or what?

For my age, this is awful.

First off, congratulations on the weight loss!!!

Second, your skin will almost certainly shrink considerably over time, and
some of the marks will almost certainly fade noticably on their own, even
if they don't entirely disappear.

Third, at age 19 my sister had a "perfect" body. She was 5'2" and between
100 and 105 pounds and she had always been athletic and never fat. Even
she had stretch marks, on her hips and breasts, just from puberty. So to a
certain extent, stretch marks are normal even at a young age. So are
spider veins, cellulite, butt zits, ingrown hairs, scars, etc. All women
have at least some of these flaws, even models in magazines. You know they
digitally alter those photos, right? No one is flawless.

--
Michelle Levin
http://www.mindspring.com/~lunachick

I have only 3 flaws. My first flaw is thinking that I only have 3 flaws.

Get thee to a nunnery.

--
Now [censored]. You cannot possibly be this stupid and remember to
breathe. You must be trolling. -- Carmen

"Sobe203" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hey everyone-
I'm wondering about the body flaws associated with weight gain. Even

though

Quoted message said:

I've lost 35 lbs. in the past three months, I still see things wrong with

me.

Quoted message said:

I have pink stretch marks on my stomach (matching pairs on each side) that

are

Quoted message said:

indented slightly in the skin, and it looks like a few spider veins on my

right

Quoted message said:

leg.

I got really depressed when I looked into the mirror. I'm only 19. How

am I

Quoted message said:

ever supposed to wear a bathing suit, or have a healthy sex life one day,

if

Quoted message said:

I'm ashamed of my own body?

I'm using Strixaderm-MD for the stretch marks (generic, less expensive

version

Quoted message said:

of the popular Better Than Botox cream), I have been for the past 5

days...

Quoted message said:

I've seen no improvement thusfar. Do these things vanish after time &

more

Quoted message said:

weight loss, or what?

For my age, this is awful.

"Sobe203" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

Quoted message said:

Hey everyone-
I'm wondering about the body flaws associated with weight gain. Even

though

Quoted message said:

I've lost 35 lbs. in the past three months, I still see things wrong with

me.

Quoted message said:

I have pink stretch marks on my stomach (matching pairs on each side) that

are

Quoted message said:

indented slightly in the skin, and it looks like a few spider veins on my

right

Quoted message said:

leg.

I got really depressed when I looked into the mirror. I'm only 19. How

am I

Quoted message said:

ever supposed to wear a bathing suit, or have a healthy sex life one day,

if

Quoted message said:

I'm ashamed of my own body?

I'm using Strixaderm-MD for the stretch marks (generic, less expensive

version

Quoted message said:

of the popular Better Than Botox cream), I have been for the past 5

days...

Quoted message said:

I've seen no improvement thusfar. Do these things vanish after time &

more

Quoted message said:

weight loss, or what?

For my age, this is awful.

Not really, it's normal.
People have stretch marks, it's just a fact of life. They do often fade
with more time, especially when you're young.

I was on the varsity swim team in high school... we weren't exactly the most
modest team. 🙂 We would certainly compare naked bods in the locker room...
anyway... even though we were slender and althletic - we had stretch marks.
They happen with speedy growth, not just weight loss. The ones I had as a
teenager pretty much disppeared. Of course, a few years later I gained
weight and got stretch marks from that.

My point is that you are normal and you should not be ashamed of your body.
You might think people on tv and in magazines are beautiful, but they are
airbrushed. Graphics people spend hours touching up photos to make people
look better than they are.

On Charlie's Angels, Drew Barrymore thought she looked fat incomparison to
Cameron Diaz & Lucy Liu, so the in the film room they spent weeks touching
her up and making her look smaller than she actually is.

Meanwhile, if you want to wear a swimsuit, why not go with a one-piece and
nobody will see your stomach? I really think they are more flattering on
most people anyway.

As far as your future sex life goes... having a perfect body has nothing to
do with that. Feeling comfortable with yourself does.

--
Spring
LC since 1/1/04
260/208/170
http://f2.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/sprgsnow/album?.tok=phX4sVBBuvxvs4Hs&.dir=/55b8&.src=ph
Size: 24W / 14 / 10

Ignoramus17574 said:

http://www.deansplanet.com/nomakeup.html
http://www.ebaumsworld.com/celeb.html

I clicked on a few of the pictures in the first URL, and in many cases
can't see much of a difference, except that they're wearing *less*
makeup, or wearing different types of makeup. The Cameron Diaz one is
an example...

"Crafting Mom" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Ignoramus17574 said:

http://www.deansplanet.com/nomakeup.html
http://www.ebaumsworld.com/celeb.html

I clicked on a few of the pictures in the first URL, and in many cases
can't see much of a difference, except that they're wearing *less*
makeup, or wearing different types of makeup. The Cameron Diaz one is
an example...

No way, the ones I'm clicking on almost look like different people there is
such a big contrast:
Dean's Planet
Tyra Banks
Jennifer Lopez 2
Pam Anderson

Ha ha... and I thought Winona Rider looked better without the makeup in
picture 1

The second link Ig listed shows the pictures so you don't have to keep
clicking.

Hi,
On 14-Aug-2004, Ignoramus17574 <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Celebrities without makeup:

http://www.deansplanet.com/nomakeup.html
http://www.ebaumsworld.com/celeb.html

The vast majority of those women look great even without makeup.
Maybe it's easier for me to see that the average man who doesn't use
the stuff.

Take care,
Carmen

"Sprgtime" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Sobe203" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

Quoted message said:

Hey everyone-
I'm wondering about the body flaws associated with weight gain. Even

though

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I've lost 35 lbs. in the past three months, I still see things wrong

with me.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I have pink stretch marks on my stomach (matching pairs on each side)

that are

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

indented slightly in the skin, and it looks like a few spider veins on

my right

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

leg.

I got really depressed when I looked into the mirror. I'm only 19. How

am I

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

ever supposed to wear a bathing suit, or have a healthy sex life one

day, if

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I'm ashamed of my own body?

My point is that you are normal and you should not be ashamed of your

body.

Quoted message said:

You might think people on tv and in magazines are beautiful, but they are
airbrushed. Graphics people spend hours touching up photos to make people
look better than they are.

[snipped for brevity]

Sprgtime is right. My husband used to be a glamour photographer. They do
amazing things with makeup and lights. Just about anybody (and anything) can
look fantastic with the right photography.

Don't be overcritical of yourself. Consider your accomplishment! You've lost
a lot of weight, and that's fantastic!

As to bathing suits, I just heard yesterday that one pieces are hot now! You
can probably find an article in a fashion magazine with advice on the best
suit to wear to downplay certain features and accentuate others.

EVERYone has some features they think are less than perfect. Take the best
care of what you can take care of, and don't worry about the rest --
worrying won't help! Consider what your best features are, enjoy them and
accentuate them. Take confidence from your most beautiful features; that is
truly what people find sexy -- confidence.

anka

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Carmen said:

Hi,
On 14-Aug-2004, Ignoramus17574 <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Celebrities without makeup:

http://www.deansplanet.com/nomakeup.html
http://www.ebaumsworld.com/celeb.html

The vast majority of those women look great even without makeup.
Maybe it's easier for me to see that the average man who doesn't use
the stuff.

I think the average man is far, far less critical of what women look
like than women seem to be. Women tend to focus on features separately
while I think men look at women as a whole package. Of course, there
are leg men and [censored] men and what have you, but I haven't seen that
really stop or start anything but conversation between the guys.

It's a very interesting phenomenon how someone you might think is
unattractive can begin to work for you after a little conversation, a
few laughs and a kind of chemistry takes hold. When I was single, I
traveled a great deal and met a lot of women in the various offices
and airplanes. One in particular in Zurich was rather plain-looking
but very bright, literate and enormously funny. We dated casually
while I lived there. A couple years later I went back. She was married
and gone by then. That's when I found out the office nickname for her
was "bug" because the other women thought she was ugly.

I thought "Bug" was wonderful.

Pastorio

Hi,

Ig said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Celebrities without makeup:

http://www.deansplanet.com/nomakeup.html
http://www.ebaumsworld.com/celeb.html

Carmen said:

Quoted message said:

The vast majority of those women look great even without makeup.
Maybe it's easier for me to see that the average man who doesn't
use the stuff.

Bob P. said:

I think the average man is far, far less critical of what women look
like than women seem to be. Women tend to focus on features
separately while I think men look at women as a whole package. Of
course, there
are leg men and [censored] men and what have you, but I haven't seen that
really stop or start anything but conversation between the guys.

I've thought that to be so for a long time, especially in some ethnic
groups.

Bob P. said:

It's a very interesting phenomenon how someone you might think is
unattractive can begin to work for you after a little conversation,
a few laughs and a kind of chemistry takes hold.

Snip

<smile> Definitely, and the reverse is true for me. An absolutely
gorgeous man
who opens his mouth and spews boorish and/or unintelligent things most
of the time
might as well be a troll.

Take care,
Carmen

Crafting Mom said:

Ignoramus17574 said:

http://www.deansplanet.com/nomakeup.html
http://www.ebaumsworld.com/celeb.html

Quoted message said:

I clicked on a few of the pictures in the first URL, and in many cases
can't see much of a difference, except that they're wearing *less*
makeup, or wearing different types of makeup. The Cameron Diaz one is
an example...

It's really not fair to compare grainy, casual snaps taken in natural
light with professionally posed and lit photographs. Also, some people
are simply more photogenic than others. Others don't have a single bad
angle and you could cover them in mud and they'd still look great.

By the time you're 40, you're usually starting to look more like who you
are on the inside than on the outside. Some of these women living their
lives well, they have a natural sparkle and are going to be gorgeous
70-year-olds, no doubt about it. Others will start looking more like who
they are on the inside which isn't nearly as beautiful as the outside.
No amount of plastic surgery can help that.

Dan
325/211/180
Atkins since 1/1/02 (yeah, it was a New Year's Resolution)
Besetting sins: good beer, German bread, and Krispy Kremes

[cut]

Quoted message said:

As far as your future sex life goes... having a perfect body has nothing
to
do with that. Feeling comfortable with yourself does.

That, and the willingness to try new things. ;-) Plus, anyone who
wouldn't want you because you have blemishes really isn't worth your time.

--
Bob M
remove ".x" to reply

Sobe203 wrote:
:: Hey everyone-
:: I'm wondering about the body flaws associated with weight gain.
:: Even though I've lost 35 lbs. in the past three months, I still see
:: things wrong with me. I have pink stretch marks on my stomach
:: (matching pairs on each side) that are indented slightly in the
:: skin, and it looks like a few spider veins on my right leg.

Those minor things have little to do with you being a babe!

::
:: I got really depressed when I looked into the mirror. I'm only 19.
:: How am I ever supposed to wear a bathing suit, or have a healthy sex
:: life one day, if I'm ashamed of my own body?

1) you don't have to wear a bathing suit
2) this has nothing to do with you having a healthy sex life one day.
3) don't be ashamed of your own body unless you expect to find a man that is
without flaw...

::
:: I'm using Strixaderm-MD for the stretch marks (generic, less
:: expensive version of the popular Better Than Botox cream), I have
:: been for the past 5 days... I've seen no improvement thusfar. Do
:: these things vanish after time & more weight loss, or what?

At your age, just lose the weight and exercise and things will take care of
themselves. Consider doing some weight training to add some nice shapely
muscle. You can be awesome.

Thanks everybody : ) I rememeber one time pre-Atkins where I didn't want to
turn on the TV, because I felt self-conscious and horrible looking at these
flawless women with glowing complexions, slim bodies... the perfect mold. I
guess it's good to keep Photoshop techniques in the back of your mind.

In fact, I know Jamie Lee Curtis insisted on doing a magazine photoshoot with
no airbrushing or touch-ups, which I think was admirable of her.

But it seems like I'm on the right track - instead of shutting off the TV and
continuing to stay miserable, I made a wise amazon.com investment (ANDR, of
course!) and learned what a community gym is. : )

I feel a lot better now, and realize everyone has flaws - thank you so much for
your encouragement & reassurance, everyone.

I'll definitely take Roger's advice and do some weight training. I have two
5-pound weights, which is a little light for me, but I can always turn one
diagonally, stack it on the other, and easily grasp both for a 10-pounder.

Thanks again! :]

Sobe203 said:

I'm using Strixaderm-MD for the stretch marks (generic, less expensive version
of the popular Better Than Botox cream), I have been for the past 5 days...
I've seen no improvement thusfar. Do these things vanish after time & more
weight loss, or what?

With no treatment, the redness of your stretchmarks should eventually
fade, and the puckering may become finer or eventually disappear,
depending on their width and depth. Most women get some stretch
marks, either on hips or breasts in puberty, or breasts or abdomen
from pregnancy.

Even if it were an effective product, 5 days is not long enough to
see a difference, but it looks like this product is being sold for
a purpose not supported by what minimal research exists for it.

While it's being sold for stretch marks, it appears that there is no
research showing that the touted ingredient (palmitoyl pentapeptide)
would be helpful for stretch marks. There is minimal research by the
manufacturers (according to the link below) suggesting that it may be
effective for fine wrinkling in the same way as retinol, but stretch
marks are a damage caused by actual tearing in the underlayers of skin,
as opposed to fine wrinkling in the topmost skin layers. It doesn't
seem very likely that this product would be helpful for stretchmarks.

http://www.smartskincare.com/treatments/pentapeptide.html

--
jamie ([email hidden])

"There's a seeker born every minute."

"Sobe203" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Thanks everybody : ) I rememeber one time pre-Atkins where I didn't want

to

Quoted message said:

turn on the TV, because I felt self-conscious and horrible looking at

these

Quoted message said:

flawless women with glowing complexions, slim bodies... the perfect mold.

I

Quoted message said:

guess it's good to keep Photoshop techniques in the back of your mind.

In fact, I know Jamie Lee Curtis insisted on doing a magazine photoshoot

with

Quoted message said:

no airbrushing or touch-ups, which I think was admirable of her.

But it seems like I'm on the right track - instead of shutting off the TV

and

Quoted message said:

continuing to stay miserable, I made a wise amazon.com investment (ANDR,

of

Quoted message said:

course!) and learned what a community gym is. : )

I feel a lot better now, and realize everyone has flaws - thank you so

much for

Quoted message said:

your encouragement & reassurance, everyone.

I'll definitely take Roger's advice and do some weight training. I have

two

Quoted message said:

5-pound weights, which is a little light for me, but I can always turn one
diagonally, stack it on the other, and easily grasp both for a 10-pounder.

Thanks again! :]

I'd drop the stretchmark snake oil and take the advice of others on here.
Your marks will fade and to be honest, if someone decides whether or not to
have sex with you or to pursue a relationship with you based on a few
stretchmarks, they can go to hell and you should feel free to tell them
that.

Loser (a guy with a few stretchmarks...some from the gym and some from the
dinner table)

Ignoramus17574 said:

I remember an article in some women's magazine. They took a completely
ordinary girl, with decent figure but otherwise completely
unremarkable. I would not turn my head if I passed her, unless I was
very horny. A nice girl, but not remarkable in her beauty.

Then they took the best makeup artists, hair stylists, etc etc, and
worked on her for hours. They took a digital picture of her and
retouched it just like they do with ad pictures with supermodels.

Then they published a "before" and "after" photos. In the "after"
photos, she looked like a supermodel!

Celebrities without makeup:

http://www.deansplanet.com/nomakeup.html
http://www.ebaumsworld.com/celeb.html

May the gods bless you for posting this reality check!
--
nimue

"If I had created reality television I would have had a much greater
influence, but then I would have had to KILL MYSELF."
Joss Whedon

Great T & A requires great DNA.
Penn (of Penn and Teller)

Sobe203 said:

Hey everyone-
I'm wondering about the body flaws associated with weight gain. Even
though I've lost 35 lbs. in the past three months, I still see things
wrong with me. I have pink stretch marks on my stomach (matching
pairs on each side) that are indented slightly in the skin, and it
looks like a few spider veins on my right leg.

I got really depressed when I looked into the mirror. I'm only 19.
How am I ever supposed to wear a bathing suit, or have a healthy sex
life one day, if I'm ashamed of my own body?

I'm using Strixaderm-MD for the stretch marks (generic, less
expensive version of the popular Better Than Botox cream), I have
been for the past 5 days... I've seen no improvement thusfar. Do
these things vanish after time & more weight loss, or what?

For my age, this is awful.

Aw, honey, everyone has stretchmarks. They will fade and no one cares
anyway.

--
nimue

"If I had created reality television I would have had a much greater
influence, but then I would have had to KILL MYSELF."
Joss Whedon

Great T & A requires great DNA.
Penn (of Penn and Teller)

Ignoramus17574 said:

I remember an article in some women's magazine. They took a completely
ordinary girl, with decent figure but otherwise completely
unremarkable. I would not turn my head if I passed her, unless I was
very horny. A nice girl, but not remarkable in her beauty.

Then they took the best makeup artists, hair stylists, etc etc, and
worked on her for hours. They took a digital picture of her and
retouched it just like they do with ad pictures with supermodels.

Then they published a "before" and "after" photos. In the "after"
photos, she looked like a supermodel!

Celebrities without makeup:

http://www.deansplanet.com/nomakeup.html
http://www.ebaumsworld.com/celeb.html

One thing -- I checked the Yancy Butler before and after. I knew Yancy when
she was about 19 or so and she was, without a doubt, the most incredibly
beautiful woman I had ever, ever seen. She was also very friendly and warm.
For some reason, she has had some problems with alcohol, etc., in the past
few years (I read that in the gossip columns) and this made me sad. She was
a lovely person when I knew her and I just don't think she deserves the
problems she has had. Anyway, my point is, beauty is no guarantee of
happiness. If it were, Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley would have had
happy lives -- and they didn't. Beauty is no guarantee of sadness either --
just keep it all in perspective.

--
nimue

"If I had created reality television I would have had a much greater
influence, but then I would have had to KILL MYSELF."
Joss Whedon

Great T & A requires great DNA.
Penn (of Penn and Teller)

Sobe 203 said:

Hey everyone-
I'm wondering about the body flaws associated with weight gain. Even though
I've lost 35 lbs. in the past three months, I still see things wrong with me.

I have pink stretch marks on my stomach (matching pairs on each side) that
are
indented slightly in the skin, and it looks like a few spider veins on my
right
leg.

I got really depressed when I looked into the mirror. I'm only 19. How am I
ever supposed to wear a bathing suit, or have a healthy sex life one day, if
I'm ashamed of my own body?

I'm using Strixaderm-MD for the stretch marks (generic, less expensive
version
of the popular Better Than Botox cream), I have been for the past 5 days...
I've seen no improvement thusfar. Do these things vanish after time & more
weight loss, or what?

For my age, this is awful.

I saw Reese Witherspoon say that she has stretch marks and cellulite. Everyone
has flaws. That's part of being human.

Yvonne